Blood Red
by Mr. Quinnt
Summary: Just a one shot on what Jake does between Rose's wish and the next morning. My first fanfic, so go easy on me. Nah, just kidding. Tear it to shreds.


**So, yeah. My first fanfic. If any of you do suffer through it, please leave a review so I can feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. **

**Since it seems quotes are the new hype, here goes,**

**"I do not have anger management issues! I manage to get my anger just fine, thank you very much." - Reggie, The brownie with 'no' anger management isuues.**

* * *

"Rose! No!" She looked down at him, a little surprised. Then she smiled. A warm, reassuring smile.

"Jake, let go. I'll be ok. I promise." Those eyes. Those beautiful, sapphire eyes looked into his like two little pearls. from the bottom of the sea.

"I'll be ok."

Smiling, yet infinitely sad, they pleaded for him to let go, just let go until slowly, gently, he let her hand slip out of his. She gave him one last smile before looking up and allowing the magic to lift her to the sky. To peace. To death...

Back on the roof, Jake watched her float. Watched one of the few people in this world he loved float to her death. No. No, she was not going to be ok and he had to help her. Desperately, he picked up the skull and ran back to his family.

"We have to do something! We have to use the skulls to save her!" Without waiting for an answer, knowing that they'd agree, that they were with him, he turned around and lifted the skull.

"Sorry kid, but the sculls need to be destroyed. Their powers are just too dangerous!" The words hit him like a thunderbolt. Bewildered, he looked down at Fu. How could he say that?! How could he not let him...

"To use them for your own personal gain would ... "

"It wouldn't be for my own personal gain!" He yelled, furious. "It would be for hers! She deserves a normal life! With a family that cares about her!" How could they say such a thing?! This was Rose they were talking about! Rose, who just saved all their lives! Quickly, before anyone else could say a word, he lifted the skull.

"I wish Rose was never taken by the Huntsclan!"

A small circle of magical energy immediately floated towards Rose. Ready to envelop her. To give her the life she deserved. But it was rising too slowly. At this rate it wouldn't...

NO! NO! This was impossible! The first spell got to her seconds before his did! So close! To have come _SO CLOSE_ only to see her die in front of his eyes. If he had made the wish a few seconds earlier! But, where did those seconds go? Wasted, arguing with Grandps and Fu. Arguing about Rose! How could they even suggest letting her die? It was all their fault!

Rage, anger, hate... All these emotions and more bubbled up until inevitably, the bubble did what bubbles do best.

It popped.

* * *

Screaming, he smashed the skull against the ground, destroying all the other ones and the gargoyles that housed them. Walking towards the edge of the building, he changed form and flew off, but not before turning to his family, voice cracking,

"Consider them destroyed."

* * *

He flew fast and far, circling the better part of the city before landing on the Empire State Building. He still couldn't believe what happened, still couldn't make it fit into his head. Rose... _His _Rose, whom he loved with every fiber of his body, was gone... Just like that. *POP*and he would never see her again. He let out another scream, except, in his dragon form, it sounded more like a roar. Surprisingly, he heard another roar from down below. Angry enough as it is, he slithered down the building to find a ogre brandishing an axe. Apparently, it was his territory and dragons weren't welcome. Jake just looked at him with a tired expression on his face, saying that he really wasn't in the mood. The ogre, either too brave or too stupid to take the hint lunged at him. Caught off guard, Jake barely had time to dodge the axe, but it still grazed his hand. Emboldened by the success, the ogre lunged again and again, but Jake was ready for it this time. Already mad, and further enraged by the pain, he swerved so he was behind the thing and hit it in the head with his tail. When it turned around, he swiped at its eyes with his claw, blinding it temporarily. The ogre tried a blind swing, only to have the axe wrenched out if it's hand. That _did_ buy it enough time to regain its sight. Just in time to catch a glimpse of the axe heading towards its forehead. Needless to say, it never saw anything ever again.

For a moment, Jake was stunned. Then he burst out laughing. A harsh, humorless laugh. It had felt so _good_! So refreshing to just forget it all and let his anger out. Still laughing, he spread his wings, letting the wind lift him. He wanted more and as luck would have it, criminals were in good supply in the magical world. After all, he _is_ the American Dragon. It was his job to protect the magical world from such vile creatures. All through the night, he flew around the city, murdering criminals left and right. And each time he felt that pleasure. The simple, animalistic pleasure of killing his enemies. And, perhaps most importantly, it took his mind of Rose.

* * *

It was almost dawn when he heard it. A woman's cry for help. Anticipating another kill, he followed the sound to a dark alley where two hobgoblins were advancing on Veronica, the spider lady from the market. Quietly crouching behind a dumpster, he sized them both up and ... lunged.

Just like that. No warning, no macho banter, just an efficient lung, only instead of knocking the hobgoblin down, he used it as an axis to turn in a circle and slit it's throat. Before the other one could react, Jake wrapped his tail around its neck and squeezed. He watched, relishing, as it squirmed, slowly getting weaker until it lost consciousness altogether. Giving one final squeezed, he crushed the thing's neck, putting an end to its miserable existence. About to relax, he heard a sound just behind him. Swerving around, he used his tail to unsheathe one of the goblins' daggers and bring it to the throat of ...

Veronica.

The latter, originally overjoyed to see Jake was horrified. She'd watched him mercilessly kill those two hobgoblins, taking pleasure in watching each of them die. It wasn't like Jake, and now he was pointing a dagger at her throat. On instinct, she raised her hands and screamed.

"NO, JAKE! It's just me! Veronica!" She watched the fire in his eyes die out, replaced by confusion. Pressing the moment she said again, "Just me..."

Jake staggered back, dropping the dagger. He looked around at the two dead goblins. Oh no. What had he done?! He could still remember. Still feel the pleasure he got from killing them. No, this wasn't right! This wasn't him! This wasn't the man Rose had fallen in love with... Rose. What would she think if she saw him now? Murdering people left and right? Instinctively, he looked up wondering if she could see him now.

"I - I am sorry." He said to the sky, still stumbling backwards and then turned around and flapped his wings, rising high into the air, mumbling, "What have I done? What have I DONE?!"

He visited every site. Every single body lying there, murdered by him. Some were covered in blood, others twisted in unnatural positions. Each time he wanted to look away. To fly off as if this'd never happened, but he forced himself to stay. To look. To burn the images into his mind so that he'd never, EVER forget what happened this night.

* * *

Later that day, a young leprechaun was walking through the backstreets of New York City when he stumbled over something. Cursing, he turned around and screamed, finding the body of a dead troll, his torso twisted one hundred eighty degrees with most of his ribs poking through the flesh. Before long, the magic police found dozens of such bodies all around the city, and next to each one, like a fallen angel, lay a single red rose.

**So, what do you think?**


End file.
